Cloud Computing Terms Every Beginner Should Understand

Cloud Computing · Glossary

Cloud Computing Terms Every Beginner Should Understand

SECTION 01Service Models — IaaS, PaaS, SaaS

The three service models describe how much of the stack the cloud provider manages for you. The more they manage, the less you have to — but the less control you get.

SECTION 02Compute — VMs, Containers, Serverless

Compute is where your code runs. These three words describe the main ways to run code on the cloud — from most control to least ops work.

# Dockerfile — package your app
FROM node:20
WORKDIR /app
COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm install
COPY . .
EXPOSE 3000
CMD ["node", "server.js"]

# Run it anywhere
docker build -t my-app .
docker run -p 3000:3000 my-app

# AWS Lambda — serverless function
exports.handler = async (event) => {
  const name = event.queryStringParameters?.name || 'World';
  return {
    statusCode: 200,
    body: JSON.stringify({ message: `Hello, ${name}!` }),
  };
};

# No server to manage.
# Pay per 100ms of execution.

SECTION 03Storage & Databases

Cloud storage comes in a few shapes — each designed for a different kind of data. Understanding the difference saves you a lot of confusion.

SECTION 04Networking Basics

Cloud networking is how your resources talk to each other and to the internet. It's where most beginners get confused — so these terms are worth learning properly.

SECTION 05Cloud Operations

These are the words you'll hear in every cloud meeting. They describe where resources live, how they're managed, and how they stay reliable.

SECTION 06Security & Identity

Cloud security is mostly about identity and permissions. These terms are the foundation — and they appear in almost every cloud job interview.

SECTION 07Test yourself — cloud terms quiz

SECTION 08Frequently asked questions

SECTION 09Related reads